Psychopaths
by ColonelShaw
Summary: In the year 2022, the Taliban set a gas on a small town, a gas that ruins the minds of people, turning them into psychotic killers. Theodore, a lone cop, must return to his once home town and dispatch the remaining five psychopaths.
1. Chapter 1: Chemical Warfare

A/N: Well, this is my first M rated story, because it has a lot of swearing and violence. It is told from Theodore's POV.

*This story idea does not come from nor was it inspired by the 2010 movie "The Crazies". It's just a random idea I had.*

Enjoy

Chapter 1: Chemical Warfare

It's the year 2022. No, the world didn't end in 2012, but there was a terrorist bombing at the U.S. Embassy. The War-on-Terror hadn't stop, if anything, it got worse.

Last month, the Taliban gained control over a chemical that really messed people up. It caused them to become psychotic, killing beings. The Taliban set the gas into a missile and shot it towards a small city in America as a "warning shot".

The small city they chose was my hometown. The gas settled over the town and infected many. The Taliban did not count on the fact that some were immune. Unfortunately, many of those immune were killed off by the psychos.

I have been a cop for five years now. I was out of town at the time, working on a case for the chief, when the missile struck. When I returned, I saw the crazies running around. I dispatched a few and made my way to the police station, where I found the chief. He was held up in his office.

After calling for evacuation, we escaped. A few days later, the chief came to me with a mission. He told me there were only five psychopaths left in the town we had evacuated from. He told me there may also be survivors, and that is why the military cannot bomb the town.

He handed me a folded piece of paper and told me not to open it until I was inside the city. He handed me a fully loaded pistol, with extra clips.

Now I am flying in a helicopter to my hometown, where I grew up. I fidgeted in my seat. Why me? I thought. Why couldn't there have been some sort of elite group sent in?

When the helicopter touched down at the gates of the city, I hopped off. I nodded my thank you to the pilot and he flew off. I was alone, in the darkness and silence of the city. I looked at my watch. 7:46. It was growing dark.

I took out the paper that the chief had given me. I unfolded it and struggled to read the hand writing in the dark. My eyes widened. I suddenly understood why it was me who had to destroy the five remaining.

The first name and location was on the list.

Name: Alvin Seville

Hypothesized location: Army Recruiter

I slowly folded the paper and shook my head. I knew it had to be done. I began my walk towards the recruiting station, with only the soft sounds of my footsteps to break the eerie silence.

***

Well, that's all of the first chapter. Review it and thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2: Recruiting Station

A/N: For those of you that are reading, here is the next chapter.

Chapter 2: Recruiting Station

I made my way down the city streets towards the army recruiting station. My target was my brother, Alvin Seville.

I sighed. I knew I had to do this. I just didn't know how it was going to go down.

As I made my walk towards the recruiting station and towards my now insane brother, I began to remember a certain memory.

***

I quickly jumped over the trash can, barley dodging the projectiles that flew past me. I crouched down next to my brother, Alvin. He sat reloading his gun. He barely acknowledged that I had just landed next to him.

We were in our front yard, having a Nerf gun fight with the chipettes. It was boys against girls. Simon and Jeanette sat on the porch swing watching. They both were out within the first few minutes of the game.

Alvin loaded his small pistol Nerf gun with darts. He cocked it. He turned to me.

"Need any of this?" He held up his ammo pack. I took it and quickly reloaded my weapon.

A foam dart sailed over the trash can. "Come on out, cowards!" We heard Brittney yell. Alvin fixed his protective goggles. He double checked his weapon to see if it was cocked. Then he smiled. He turned to me

"Cover me." He said.

I nodded. I stood and ran out from behind the trash can, firing my weapon randomly. Fire was directed towards me. They hit me. I was out.

As Eleanor and Brittney focused on me for the moment, Alvin jumped over the can and ran forward. He turned towards Eleanor and fired his weapon. Eleanor turned to see the darts sail towards her. They struck her vest. She looked down. "Dang!" She yelled.

Brittney saw Alvin and fired her automatic weapon. Alvin heard the POP POP POP. He turned and saw the darts flying towards him. The next thing that happened made me wish I had recorded the match.

Alvin jumped forward. The darts sailed underneath him. He twisted in midair and pointed his gun at Brittney. Her eyes widened as he fired a single dart at her. It flew through the air and struck her in the forehead.

"Oh!" She exclaimed. She fell backwards onto her butt.

Alvin was still sailing through the air. He flipped around and landed on his feet. He turned to me.

"Tell me that wasn't badass!" He said. He turned to Brittney. "We win!"

Eleanor helped Brittney up. "Yeah yeah yeah…" She mumbled while dusting herself off.

I looked to Alvin and laughed. He smiled and blew the "smoke" from his gun.

***

I smiled to myself. Alvin was always a good shot. I looked up at the Recruiting station. I had arrived.

I took out my pistol and walked slowly through the parking lot, towards the building. Alvin had signed up for the army years ago. After fighting in the war, Alvin was awarded several medals for his heroic feats. His greatest award, the meritorious achievement medal and ribbon, was given to him after he had single handedly taken out a whole fleet of the Taliban.

After many years of fighting, he retired to work on recruiting young men and women into the army.

No one ever thought he could live up to something like that, I thought. He never seemed like someone that would be a huge success. Well, I mean, other than being a huge rock star.

I made it to the shattered glass doors. I checked the area, then cautiously made my way into the building. The main lobby was deserted, save a few dead bodies. I checked to make sure it was safe, then bent down towards a body.

The body looked like it had been shot several times. I stood up. Alvin has guns. I slowly made my way towards the main hall, a large room with furniture and tables.

As I entered the room, I heard a soft chuckle. It came from the other side of the room. I pointed my gun towards the sound. "Alvin?" I said.

"Theodore! I thought I'd never see you again!" He remained in the shadows of the corner he was in. I could not see him. "You're just in time for dinner! If I can remember correctly, you love to eat!" Alvin laughed maniacally.

I wouldn't take any of this. "You're crazy. The gas has affected you."

Another laugh. "Really? I feel just fine. If anything, you're the one who's crazy!!" He jeered.

"Show yourself!" I yelled, not putting my gun down.

"You sure? I'm not looking my best today!" He snorted, then laughed crazily again.

I cocked my gun. "Show yourself." I repeated.

"Alright, officer." Alvin chuckled, adding emphasis on the word "officer". He stepped out of the darkness and into the flickering light.

He was disgusting. An eyeball was gone and a chunk of his cheek was missing. He grinned evilly and I noticed that some of his teeth were missing. He had on his uniform, and it was terribly blood drenched. I noticed a scratch across his chest, in the area where his medals should have been. But what caught my attention the most was his hand. In it, he had an submachine gun.

He held his free hand up and ran his fingers across his face. "Like these?" He asked, motioning to the scratches and scars on his face. "Those bastards out there tried to fight back." He laughed again. He moved his index finger up to his empty eye socket. "Barbara even scratched my eye out with a nail file." He grinned. "It doesn't hurt, though." He stuck his index finger into the eye socket and swirled it around. Even from where I was standing, I could hear the squishing sound of his finger sliding around.

I couldn't help it. I turned my head and gagged. When I looked back, Alvin had the gun pointed at me.

"Time to go night night, dearest brother." He laughed and pulled the trigger. As the bullets fire at me, I jumped to a wooden table, flipped it and crouched down behind it. Alvin continued to fire, bullets whizzing over the table. Over the sounds of gunfire, I heard Alvin's laugh.

The chief had told me several things to do when facing the psychos.

One: Never try to negotiate with them. They don't think straight and will not listen.

Two: Show no fear, because this provokes them.

And Three: Waste no time shooting them. Damn. I should have shot him the instant he came out of that corner, I thought.

The firing had not ceased. He seemed to be depleting no ammunition whatsoever.

A bullet breached the table, mere inches from my head. This table isn't going to hold out much longer. I need to kill him now. His laughing had grown louder. I blindly fired my pistol from behind the table. His firing ceased.

Had I killed him? I poked my head up from behind the table. Alvin was still standing. "Gotcha!" He laughed and began firing once more.

"Fuck!" I yell and duck behind the table once more. More bullets made their way through the table. It was going to bust any moment now. I need to kill him NOW. I grabbed my badge from my shirt. I threw it sideways, towards the side of the room. Then I jumped up from behind the table. My plan had worked.

Alvin's eyes had been taken off the table for a split second, so he remained shooting at the table. He did not see me jump up. I took my shot.

It grew gravely silent as Alvin suddenly stopped firing. Alvin dropped to the floor on his knees. I got him. His temple began to bleed and he fell down the rest of the way onto his face. I went to my badge and picked it up. I pinned it to my shirt and made my way towards Alvin's body.

I knelt down by his body and rolled him over. I did not look at his face. I grabbed the submachine gun. I was planning to take the gun, but when I checked the ammo was gone. Of course.

I stood up and walked through the rest of the building, looking to see if there were any survivors. When I found none, I walked out of the building.

I felt sick. I thought of Alvin, his finger swirling inside his eye socket. I vomited.

***

Well there is chapter two! I hope you liked it. Review it if you wish. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3: An Apple a Day

Chapter 3: An Apple a Day

I put a distance between me and the recruiting station before checking to see who was next. Once I was a safe distance, I pulled the paper out of my pocket.

I read the next target. I shook my head. How? How could someone so timid and quiet become a psychotic monster? I looked to the paper to see the hypothesized location. The South County Hospital. I sighed and began my walk towards the next destination.

As I walked, I thought about how I would have to do this. One shot. Don't hold back. The instant you see her. I shook my head. Killing Jeanette would not be easy for me, even if it wasn't her anymore.

As I walked, I began to recall another memory, one I am not particularly fond of.

***

I decided it was time I tried to use my bike without the training wheels. After all, I was seven and Alvin and Simon both got rid of theirs.

Dave unscrewed the training wheels for me. Alvin and Simon were already in the front of the house, riding around in the street. Alvin was doing some tricks to impress the chipettes and Simon was simply riding around.

After Dave removed the training wheels, I put on my green helmet and walked my bike to the road. I sat on it. The instant I did, the bike began to fall sideways. I placed my foot on the road. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Come on, Theodore!" Eleanor encouraged. I smiled.

"Here I go!" I placed one foot on the pedal and began to make my way down the road. "Hey! Look at me! I can do it!" I beamed.

"Good job, Theodore." Simon said.

I looked over my shoulder. "Thanks!" I saw Jeanette point.

"Theodore! Look out!" She yelled. I turned in time to see a parked car. I swerved my bike and lost control. I slammed onto the curb and flew forwards, off my bike.

I landed on my wrist. "Ow!" Pain shot through my arm as I landed.

"Theodore!" Jeanette yelled. Everyone rushed over to me. I had tears in my eyes.

"There there," Eleanor said soothingly. She put an arm around me and helped me up. Jeanette carefully grabbed my wrist. It was bleeding. I winced in pain.

"This looks like it could be sprained!" She said. "Come on inside, I'll help it." Jeanette lead me inside while everyone followed. She sat me on the table. "Where do you keep your first-aid kit?" She asked Simon.

"I'll get it." He walked up the stairs. Jeanette turned to Eleanor. "Ellie, could you get me a rag please? And wet it?" Eleanor looked at me, then turned and headed for the kitchen.

Simon returned with a white box in his had. Jeanette took the box and opened it. She pulled out some gauze, a cotton ball and a black bottle. My eyes widened.

"No!" I said. I pulled my hand away. Jeanette looked at me. "That stuff hurts!" Eleanor returned with a rag. She handed it to Jeanette.

Jeanette placed the rag onto my cut and began to clean it. The pain made more tears go down my face. "There is a trick to not feeling that pain," She said, not looking up from my cut.

"How?"

She looked up at me. "Bite your tongue softly and look up." She then opened the bottle and dabbed the cotton ball with the liquid inside. I winced. Then I bit my tongue and looked upwards at the ceiling.

I felt Jeanette placed the cotton ball onto me wrist. I did not feel the pain. After a few seconds of wiping, Jeanette spoke. "Okay Theodore, you can look back down now."

I stopped biting my tongue and looked to see Jeanette wrapping my wrist with gauze. "There you go, Theo!" She smiled and stood up. I looked at my wrist.

"Thanks, Jeanette!" I grinned. "You should be a doctor!" Jeanette blushed.

"Oh, well I don't know about that…" She said.

"No really!" I said excitedly. "That didn't hurt a bit!"

Jeanette blushed again. We stayed inside for the rest of the day and played board games, because I couldn't move my wrist very much.

***

I looked up at the hospital I had arrived at. I sighed. Years later, of course, Jeanette ended up going to medical school. I smiled to myself. Although she was a little hapless, Jeanette still made a great surgeon. She saved many people's lives and went on to being the Chief Surgeon of the hospital. She became very successful and wrote many books on her success.

My smile faded when I realized what I had to do. I cocked my gun and headed towards to building.

This place is huge, I thought. How am I ever going to find her? I entered the building. I looked at the map next to the reception counter. Most likely she will be in the medicine department. I made my way to the elevator.

I looked around and then pressed the up button. The door opened immediately. Inside lay a dead man, his scrubs ripped open and his blood splattered all over the walls and ceiling of the elevator. I gagged once more.

"Stairs it is…" I muttered to myself.

***

As I reached the fifth floor of the hospital, I began to smell a very fruity scent. I took a deep whiff. It smelled like cherries. I began to walk cautiously down the hallway. Jeanette was somewhere on this level.

The lights in the hallway flickered. It was eerie. The smell was softer now; either it has faded or I have grown accustomed to it.

Suddenly, a man fell forward behind the corner at the other end of the hall.

"PLEASE, GOD NO!!!" The man screamed. He tried crawling away. He was pulled behind the corner. I sprinted forward. As I was running, I heard the man screaming and what sounded like a buzz saw.

The hall silenced before I reached the corner. As a turned it, I saw the man on his back, dead. His chest looked as though it had been ripped open. No one was in sight. I approached the man cautiously. The horror on his face was still there. I knelt down beside him and examined his nametag.

I heard a giggle. I jumped up and pointed my gun down the hall. No one was there.

"Jeanette?" I was confused. Another giggle was heard. It was a very satanic giggle, full of evil. "Jeanette get out here!"

She appeared on front of me suddenly. I jumped backwards. Her figure looked blurry, but I could see her. She had her scrubs on under her white lab coat. Both were blood stained, with some hunks of flesh in it. Her glasses and face were sprayed with blood. She was smiling evilly. Her teeth had blood on them, too.

"Hello, Theodore." She laughed demonically.

"Jeanette, you-" I remembered the chief's words. I pointed my gun and pulled the trigger.

The bullet sailed through her.

I blinked.

Jeanette grinned. The bullet had literally sailed through her, as if her body was a mere projection.

I shot again, this time missing completely. "How the…" I muttered.

Jeanette laughed again. "You like it?" She waved her arms around slowly. Her movements became blurred.

I blinked a few more times. I pointed my gun again. This time, she moved. More like teleported, actually. She changed form one spot to another, her movements dim.

"The smell, idiot." She laughed. "Cherries?" She took a deep whiff. "I took the liberty of releasing all the nitrous oxide on this floor." She turned towards me. "Laughing gas." She began to laugh maniacally.

I coughed. She began to "move" again from place to place. She spoke as she did this.

"Laugh with me, Theo." She laughed. She sounded far away. "You know you want to." She sounded as though she was right in my ear.

I turned and fired, only hitting the wall. My eyes bulged as the walls began to droop. The blood on the walls began to turn purple. I sputtered. Her wicked laughter filled the air.

The gas began to take affect. Everything looked as though it was swaying. I gulped and began firing everywhere with no hits. Her laughter echoed in my ears.

"Give up, Theodore!" I turned around and she stood in the hallway. Her grin reminded me of the Cheshire Cat. I fired.

She laughed and laughed as bullets sailed through her. I shook my head angrily. I pointed the gun at an angle, aiming for the ceiling. I fired one bullet.

It was silent. I looked at Jeanette. Her smile had faded. She was staring at her chest. A hole was in her scrubs. I shot more bullets at the ceiling. Jeanette stumbled backwards as the bullets hit her.

I stopped firing. She stood shaking. She spit up blood. Then she fell to her knees and onto her face.

The danger from Jeanette was gone, but if I don't get oxygen soon, I would suffocate. I stumbled towards and down the stairs and ran across the lobby. I burst out of the hospital and sprawled onto the parking lot. I took a few deep breaths.

When I felt the effects of the gas where off, I stood up. I shook my head vigorously.

"Okay…" I said aloud. "Jeanette's dead." I turned and began to leave the hospital.

As I left the gates, I turned and gave one last look at the hospital. As I stared, something inside me built up . I tried to hold it in, but my efforts failed. I laughed and laughed and laughed. I clutched my stomach, I was laughing so hard. As I laughed uncontrollably, tears ran down my face. Tears for Jeanette.

I dread the next destination.

***

There is chapter three. Hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter will be up ASAP. And yes, I do know I have a twisted mind, haha. Thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4: Get Schooled

A/N: Sorry for the wait. I'm jugglin' three stories! Here you go; enjoy.

Chapter 4: Get Schooled

After leaving the presence of the hospital, I checked the paper to see where I needed to go next. University of California.

That was on the outskirts of the city. I groaned and checked my watch. It was 10:40 PM. I began to walk to the university.

Once again, I began to have a flashback of who was next. At least it helps me pass the time, I thought.

***

I was at the school library, studying for the final exams. If I was to graduate, I would need to pass. As I read the textbook, I heard someone sit down across from me at the table and groan. I smiled and looked up from my textbook.

"Hey, Britt." I said. She grunted. "What's wrong with you?"

She turned to me. "I can't find Jeanette anywhere! She was supposed to help me study!" She narrowed her eyes at me. "Do YOU know where she is?"

I shrugged. "Probably of with Simon somewhere." I was happy that Simon and Jeanette were finally dating, but lately, they just keep disappearing together.

Brittney groaned again. She put her head on the table. "I'm gonna fail! I don't understand any of this!" She lifted her head up at me. "The only reason I am passing is because Jeanette does my homework for me!" I raised an eyebrow. She put her hands up. "Hey, she offers!"

I laughed. "I'll help you study if you want, Brittney."

Brittney thought for a moment. "Fine." She grabbed her backpack. "Mainly because Alvin can't help me." I laughed again and scooted towards her to help her.

***

Not the longest memory, but it killed some time. I could see the university in the distance. Brittney didn't need to study for the final exams, she needed to study for the SATs. She didn't tell me that little detail. But she took it and got a perfect score. After the university figured that out, they called Brittney and told her that they would like her there. Brittney said yes immediately. After getting her Bachelors degree, Brittney began to try for a Masters. We all believed in her. She would never get it though, thanks to the gas.

As I approached the front gate, I noticed a few people walking out of the university quickly. I drew my gun and made my way over to them.

"Hey!" I yelled. The group of people turned to me. They were college students, clearly terrified.

"S-s-she's fucking crazy." A boy stuttered. I put my hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Stay calm and tell me what happened." I said blankly. The boy shuddered, then spoke.

"S-s-she w-wasn't the only one." He sputtered. He let out a chuckle. "No, there were m-more." He looked down at the ground. "We killed them, as many as we could."

"You killed the psychopaths?"

The boy licked his lips. He began to cry. "They ripped my girlfriend to shreds!" He yelled. "They killed my friends!" He was hysterical. I pulled out my radio.

"I need evac for survivors." I spoke into the radio. "At the University of California."

The boy began to speak. "S-she's locked up."

I turned to him. "Where?"

The boy didn't answer my question. "We killed almost all of them, but not her. She's locked up."

"Where?"

The boy began to laugh. "She's going to kill us! She's FUCKING CRAZY!!" He laughed. His friends only stared at him.

The helicopter arrived and landed in front of us. I turned to the boy. "Where is she?!" I yelled over the propellers.

The boy laughed. He boarded the helicopter. A girl wearing a torn blue windbreaker approached me. "We locked her in the culinary room. It's on the second floor."

I nodded. She grabbed my shoulder. "She is fucking crazy." She turned and boarded the helicopter. The pilot gave me a salute and flew off. It became dead silent.

I looked up at the building. Some windows had been smashed and there was blood on the walls on the outside. I grabbed my gun and entered the building.

The inside was littered with bodies, those of the students and faculty. I made my way to the stairs. Going up, I thought. I remembered the man in the elevator. I gagged as I made my way up the stairs.

***

The upstairs hallway was surprisingly clear, aside from a few blood stains on the walls. I made my way down the hall, checking rooms that had the word "CULINARY" on it.

The room was at the end of the hall. As I approached, I heard clanging of pots and pans and yells of a voice that could only be hers. It was Brittney.

I held my gun readily, and slowly opened the door. The room was silent as the door creaked open. Brittney was on the other side of the room, her back to me. Her body shook as if she were stirring something. I cocked my gun.

She whirled around suddenly. Her hair was a complete mess and mascara was running down her cheeks as if she had been crying. "I know you." She said. She continued to stir the spoon in pan. The pan made a clinking sound, clearly indicating that there was nothing in it. "I know you." She repeated. She pulled what she was stirring with out of the pan -it was a large knife, not a spoon- and pointed it at me. "I know you." She repeated for the third time.

"I know, Brittney." I said. She laughed at the sound of her name. Her laughing ceased instantly and was replaced by a sob. She began to cry, the mascara flowing once again. "Why did you break my heart, John?" She asked me.

"I am Theodore."

She stopped crying and smiled. She began to stir again. "I know you."

"Brittney…"

"Would you like a turtle?" She asked.

I took a step back. She really WAS fucking crazy. "No Brittney."

"You sure? I make a mean batch of cookies!" She placed the pot down and examined the knife. She bent over and picked up an apple off the floor. She began to peel the skin off of it with the knife. "One potato, two potato, three potato, four. She used to be the best, now she's dead on the floor." Brittney snorted at her rhyme. She threw the apple across the room. It hit the window and smashed it. Brittney began to sob again.

I stared at her, bewildered. This insanity is too much. I pointed my gun at her. I have to put her out of her misery.

She saw me pointing the gun at her and stopped crying. "I know you." Her face turned red and she suddenly bared her teeth. She gave a shriek and charged at me, the knife high over her head.

One shot. I pulled the trigger.

Click

I was out of ammo. I must have wasted it all at the hospital! Brittney flew at me with the knife. I jumped out of the way, but she managed to slice my arm. I fell to the floor on my back. Brittney ran at me again with fury in her eyes. When she got close, I lifted my foot up and kick her in the stomach.

"Oof!" She let out as she fell backwards. The knife flew from her hands and to the other side of the room. She got into a fetal position and began to sing:

"Oh, Susanna, don't you cry for me. I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee…"

She snorted and laughed. I sat up on my elbows. She looked over to me. "I know you."

She stood up and charged me again. I did not have time to react. She jumped on top of me and grabbed the frying pan that sat next to me on the ground. She began to beat me in the chest with it.

I grabbed her hands and shoved her off of me she fell back and hit her head on the drawer.

"Magpie!!" She yelled as she held her head. She turned to me. "What have you done with my Magpie?!" she yelled. She lunged at me again. I rolled over and crawled to the knife. My fingers were inches from it when she jumped onto my back.

"I know you!!!" She yelled as she beat my head with what I think was a whisk. "You killed Alvin and my sister!!!"

How could she have known that? I shook my body with all my might, but she would not fall off me.

"You're not going to kill anyone else!!" She screamed. I rolled over and bought her around and under me. I pinned her down and stared at her face. She struggled but could not get out from under me.

"Murderer!!" Brittney screamed. I punched her in the jaw. "B-A-D spells BAD!!" I punched her again and again until she grew silent. Then, I kept punching. After a few minutes I stood up. Brittney was dead. She had the life beat out of her.

I grabbed a towel and wiped the blood off of my knuckles. I grabbed the knife and tucked it into my belt. I would need it since I couldn't use my gun anymore.

I examined my cut and then wrapped a towel around it. I took one last look at Brittney, half expecting her to begin singing again. She remained where she was, lifeless.

I wiped my nose with my hand and gave a nod.

After exiting the building, I pulled out the paper and read the next destination.

The planetarium. I knew who was next. This job wasn't getting easier.

As I walked on to the planetarium, I began to hum. My humming turned to singing.

"Oh Susanna, don't you cry for me. I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee.

I'm going to Louisiana, my true love for to see. It rained all night the day I left. The weather it was dry.

The sun so hot, I froze to death. Susanna, don't you cry…"


	5. Chapter 5: Twinkle, Twinkle

Chapter 5: Twinkle, Twinkle

My walk to the planetarium wasn't a long one. As I sang and walked, I thought long about my brother. Simon, the smartest of all three of us. He grew up to be what he longed to be: a scientist and astronomer.

***

The six of us were laid back staring up at the stars. It was silent and peaceful. As the stars twinkled above us, Simon did his usual spiel, pointing to the constellations and naming them for us.

"That's Orion's Belt, look right there." He said in wonder. "And if you look over there, you can see Pegasus, shining in all it's glory." When he was staring at the stars, he was the happiest boy alive.

We were all ten years old at the time, laying on the grass in our backyard with the chipettes and staring "star struck", so to speak.

"And see that really shiny one? That's not a star at all, that's Venus!" Simon chuckled. "Can you imagine? Can you imagine that a gassy hunk of rock could shine so beautifully?" He reached up, as if attempting to touch the stars. "And science has only come so far! Why, in a few years, we might even discover a new planet or two! Or life! Life on distant planets!" He was speculated.

I smiled. Simon thought big. I mean, all I saw was a bunch of shiny dots, but through his eyes -through his glasses- he saw a world of discovery.

He held up his arms once more. "It's so close, I could grasp it!"

I smiled again.

"And I will." His smile had faded. "One day, I am going to help mankind. I am going to invent something that will change the world."

He closed his eyes, absorbing the atmosphere. A star shot across the sky.

"Make a wish," I said.

He opened his eyes in time to see the star before it faded into the night. He looked to Jeanette, then back up at the sky. He closed his eyes and mumbled something to himself. He opened his eyes, smiled and took a deep breath. He spoke.

"Let's hope the star heard…"

***

I stopped singing and looked up at the large dome I had arrived at. I looked at the sign in front of the building. It read:

South Cali Planetarium/Observation Tower and Science Research Station.

What a mouthful.

I headed up the steps to the large building. It was one big room; this was going to be easy. Or was it? So far this night was NOT easy at all.

I looked at my watch. It was a quarter past midnight. If it's midnight, then why does it start a new day? I chuckled at my own corny joke. Simon, as far as we know, had not created his device to change mankind. He had, however, discovered a new planet in 2018. Yes, that's right, a new planet! Right out side the solar system was a small, purple planet. After much thought, he decided to name the planet Cintaku. He never told us what it meant. Whenever one of us asked(especially Jeanette), he would only smile.

I reached the large, steel doors. A sign hung that read: AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. I chuckled and opened the door, slowly. Time to get serious.

I pulled out the knife I had collected and slowly walked into large room. The first thing I noticed was the smell; it smelled of burnt meat. I saw why immediately. To my right, was a pile of burnt and charred bodies. I curled my nose at them. Did Simon burn them?

A large telescope took up most of the center of the room. The other side of the room was dark and shady and it was difficult to see over there.

I squinted into the darkness. A figure in blue stood with his back to me.

"Hello, Theodore." The figure spoke. He didn't turn around.

"Simon." I said, raising my knife. I could only see his torso and head. I could not see his arms or legs, which worried me a little.

"Put it down, Theodore." He turned around and faced me. His glasses glinted. "I'm safe."

I stared him down, then slowly lowered my knife. "You're not infected?"

He smiled. "I am." He took a step closer to me. I still could not see his arms because of the shadow. "But mind is much to advanced for this bacteria to infect me."

I was confused. "Bacteria?"

Simon smiled bigger. "The bacteria is called Homugeniulisis. It takes over its host's mind and destroys neuron cells and causes common sense to turn to mush. The bacteria was set into a gas and shot here. That is why some people are immune."

I was bewildered. "You're infected though?" He nodded.

"Only to an extent." He began to pace around. I still could not see his arms. "As long as I can keep a temper, I think I'll be fine." I looked to the charred bodies to my right. "I've been working on a cure."

Simon turned back to the table and I caught a glimpse of something shiny on his arm. "Once I cure myself," He said, fiddling with test tubes. "Things will go back to normal." He smiled. "I got a surprise for Jeanette, Theodore."

I remembered Jeanette, her body flying backwards as I shot her. "Simon…"

He heard the tone of my voice and turned. "What? What happened to her, Theodore?"

I looked down at the ground. "Simon… Simon, she's dead."

Simon's jaw dropped open. "What?" He moved backwards. I heard something whirring. "W-what? No, that's… that's not true…"

I nodded. "I killed her."

Simon glared at me. "You what?" He turned back to the table and grabbed something. He threw it at me and I caught a glimpse of his arm again; it was large and metallic.

The object Simon threw at me was a small black box. "Open it." He growled. I obeyed. I opened the box and found a silver ring with a small diamond in it.

I stared at the small ring. "Simon, were you…?"

"Yes." He said angrily. "I was going to ask her to marry me." He turned back to the table. He stared down at the table. "She was infected, wasn't she?"

"Yes."

Simon shook his head slowly. "I could have saved her…" He growled. He turned to me and glowered at me.

"I didn't know…" I began.

"You idiot!" He yelled. "I could have helped her!" I heard mechanical whirring again.

"Simon, stay calm." I said. I didn't want him to lose his temper. I didn't know what he was capable of.

Simon took a deep breath. "Sorry…" He said. "I loved her…" He fiddled with the test tubes. "I don't know how I'm going to tell Alvin. He's the one who told me to propose…"

I sighed. "He's dead, too, Simon."

Simon whirled around and glared at me with fiery eyes. "Bastard!" He yelled. He ran out of the shadows and at me, and I finally saw his arms. Large mechanical gloves cover his arms and tubes ran up the sleeves on his arms. A blue liquid ran through the tubes.

I didn't have time to try and stop him. I jumped out of the way as he punched through the air. His fist smashed onto the floor where I was standing. The tile cracked and I was thrown a few feet away.

I landed on my back. "What the hell?"

Simon held up his large mechanical fists. "See these? They were supposed to change the world, son of a bitch." He hissed. "It was supposed to generate energy, fifteen billion fucking watts a second." He crooked his neck to the tubes. "It runs on liquid nitrogen. Cheap yet efficient."

"It packs a big fucking punch don't it? Sent you clear across the mother fucking room." He spoke with disgust in his voice. "It works by altering gravitational energy and setting it to joules." He looked at me as if I was stupid. "It makes rifts in matter, causing huge gravitational bursts, burning anything it punches to crisps and send anything it misses flying." He punched the floor. Several tiles flew out and across the room. The area around his punch looked distorted.

Simon turned to me. "Alvin, Jeanette…" He glared at me. "You're fucking next." He charged at me with his fists ready to punch. I jumped up and gripped my knife. He flew at me and jumped through the air. He smashed down on the ground in front of me. I was throw back to the other side of the room, where he was working on his cure.

I landed on the table and smashed may beakers and test tubes. The pain was excruciating. I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach. I looked up to see Simon running at me again. I rolled off the table just as he smashed down onto it.

I was thrown against the wall by the wave of gravity. "Oof!"

Simon let out a battle cry and charged me once again. He was toying with me, throwing me across the room to give me pain, then he was going to kill me.

He reached me and grabbed me this time instead of punching. He hoisted me up by my shirt collar and threw me across the room. I hit the large telescope, then fell to the floor. I felt my back crack.

I groaned. I looked up. Simon was towering over me. "Piece of shit…"

He grabbed my shirt collar once more and held me high in the air. Blood dripped onto his mechanical arm; my blood.

"Any last words?" He asked, his fist poised. My hands were at my sides and I felt my knife at my belt.

"Slash." I said.

"What?"

I flicked my knife across his face and sliced his cheek and forehead. He yelled in pain and dropped me, taking a few steps back.

I wasted no time. I jumped up and thrashed again, but he blocked it with his metal glove. He growled. As he blocked my knife, I saw the tubes of liquid nitrogen dancing on his sleeve. I lashed once again and he blocked it once more, but this time I stabbed at his glove.

I cut a slit in the tube and the liquid sprayed onto Simon's face.

He screamed as the struck his face. I heard cracking and I knew the nitrogen had worked. I grabbed the largest piece of smashed tile I could and ran at my brother with it. Half of his face was frozen solid and he was still screaming in pain.

I hit his head as hard as I could with the tile. The frozen half of his face smashed to bits. He crumpled to the floor, dead.

I dropped the tile and it shatter when it hit the floor. I stared at Simon for some time, then wiped my bloodied nose and left the building.

I sat on the steps outside the planetarium for a few minutes, staring up at the night sky. A shooting star shot across it. I didn't bother wishing. Simon never got his wish, why should I?

I sighed and stood up. I began to walk down the steps. There was no point in looking at the paper. I knew who was next and where they were.

In the sky, a star shone brightly. It wasn't a star, no it was a planet. It was Simon's Cintaku staring down, waiting for me to finish the fight.

***

Sorry for the wait. Thanks for reading.


	6. Chapter 6: All The Love In The World

A/N: This is the final chapter.

Chapter 6: All The Love In The World

I stared up at the two-story yellow house that towered in front of me. It had light green paneling and one of the upper windows was smashed. There were a few nicks in the paint on the front wall, as if someone had carved into it. The door was open wide, but I could only see darkness inside. The garden in the front that had once held bright green flowers was now torn up and flooded with blood.

This was my house. I had lived here once with my wife and children.

"Eleanor…" I muttered. I grabbed my knife and walked slowly to the front door. On the porch was a body. My seven year old daughter, Jenny. "Oh, El… What have you done…?"

I ignored the body and entered my house. It was dark and more importantly, quiet.

XXX

I first realized I loved Eleanor when I was ten. I was alone, at the park, sitting on a bench. I was watching the sun set, sad that there was no one to share it with. I wasn't lonely out of love, no, I just wanted someone there. It could have been Alvin or Simon or anybody. Just someone.

Eleanor came walking up the path, and she her body sparkled in the light if the setting sun. It was the first time I really noticed her beauty, and it took me by surprise.

"Hi, Theodore." Eleanor said. She sat down on the bench next to me. "What are you doing here all alone?"

"Alvin and Simon went to the arcade." I said, watching her every movement. "I just didn't feel like it. So I came here."

"Brittany and Jeanette are at home." She said. "I just was going for a walk." She looked at the setting sun. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

I looked at the sunset. The sky was a canvas set with strokes of pink and orange. I nodded. "Yes, it is." I was happy that someone had come along. Someone I could share the sunset with.

Eleanor scooted closer to me. She put her hand on mine. "It's quite romantic," She turned to me. "Don't you think?"

As if by instinct, I turned my hand and held hers, intertwining our fingers. I smiled at Eleanor. She blushed and smiled back. I turned to face the horizon again and I felt her rest her head on my shoulder. I kissed her on the top of the head and she giggled.

From then on, I loved Eleanor.

XXX

I still do. But it needed to be done. I search the first room I entered, my eyes fully adjusted. There was no one in the room, although pictures had fallen from the wall. The couch looked as though they had bullet holes in them. Eleanor had a gun…

I knew this. I was the one who gave it to her, for when I wasn't home. If I could get a hold of it, it would make it a lot less hard for me and a lot faster.

I left the living room and went to the kitchen. The floor was soaked in blood. The chairs were over turned and scattered around the room. My four year old son, Stephen, lay under the table. I wiped my eyes. My family…

I left the kitchen and headed for the stairs. She had to be there. Unless she had left, which I doubted. No one else had left where they were, why would she? I walked up the stairs slowly, trying my best not to make a noise.

When I reached the hallway, I noticed several bullet holes in the walls and ceiling. The children must have been upstairs. Eleanor had chased them with the gun through the house, trying to fire at them. I looked down the stairs. When they reached the first floor, they split up, Stephen running to the kitchen and Jenny trying to run away, out of the house. Eleanor killed her first then went inside, where Stephen was hiding in the kitchen, under the table. She threw the chairs around and shot him there.

The whole grisly scene played in my head. I held my knife tightly and made my way down the hall. It was very dark, I needed to rely on my hearing to find her.

All these years, all the times we've been together. They were gone. She had forgotten them, and the instant she sees me, she will try to kill me.

I heard a thump up ahead. I held my knife readily, waiting. I listened closer, but it was silent again.

I turned the corner and saw my bedroom door open. She was in there. I could feel it. I stood still, gazing at the door way. I was not psychologically ready to kill my own wife. I remained where I was, holding the knife up, listening to nothing.

Then came another thump, like someone who falls off a bed. I opened my mouth to call her name, then stopped. If she had the gun, it would be a stupid idea.

"You son of a bitch!" I heard her yell. It wasn't to me. It didn't seem like it was. Then I heard footsteps and heavy, angry breathing. She was coming my way. I ducked behind the corner. When she came around, I would surprise her and stab her.

Her footsteps grew nearer and I could hear her muttering angrily. I anticipated. I flicked around the corner and stabbed through the air. I hit nothing. Eleanor stood a few feet away from where I had stabbed. Her eyes were full of rage. In her right hand was the pistol I had given her.

"Theodore…" She growled. She lifted the gun to my head. "So nice to see you." She motioned towards my knife. "Drop it."

I stared at her for a few moments, then tossed my knife down. "Eleanor," I reasoned. "It's me Eleanor. You husband."

Eleanor sneered. "Do you love me?" I nodded. "Then why did you come here to kill me?" She looked at the knife.

I looked down the barrel of the gun. "The gas has affected you. It's changed you."

"I'm no different." She growled.

Tears formed in my eyes. "Eleanor, you killed our children."

Eleanor put a hand on her hip, keeping the gun pointed at my head. "You killed my sisters, didn't you? Didn't you?!"

I was silent. The tears were overflowing in my eyes and began to drift down my face.

"You did." She mumbled. "What about Alvin? Or Simon? Did you murder them, too?"

"It wasn't murder! It was euthanasia!" I yelled. "Mercy killing. They were insane, torn by the virus. I put them out of their misery."

Eleanor cocked the gun. "Mercy killing." She growled. "Let's play Mercy, Theodore." She grabbed the pistol with both hands.

I reacted. I threw my hands up and knocked the gun out of her hand. She yelled in anger. I punched her in the chest and she fell backwards. I turned and searched the floor for the gun. She jumped on my back and pulled at my hair, yelling wildly. I smashed her against the wall.

I saw the gun on the ground and dove for it, but Eleanor knocked into me, sending me flying sideways. I landed on my back. Eleanor jumped on top of me and began to scratch at my face.

She was cutting deep. I punched her face to get her off of me, but she was unaffected and continued to claw at me face, digging her nails deep into my flesh.

"Eleanor! Eleanor, stop!" I yelled, but she did not.

"NO!!" She screamed.

My hand searched the floor and made contact with the pistol. I grabbed it and pushed it against her chest. Without waiting for her reaction, I pulled the trigger. I saw a hole burst through the ceiling above us.

She stopped clawing at me and looked down at her chest, which was gushing blood. She looked back at me and tears came into her eyes as well.

"Theodore…" She whispered. She slumped over, her body on top of me. I pushed her off of me and sat up, holding my bloodied face in my hands, crying. After a few moments, I crawled over to her and rolled her over. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was open slightly.

I stared at her face for a few seconds, the tears still flowing down my cut face. I leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Eleanor, my beautiful green gumdrop…"

XXX

I was outside my house, staring up again at it. The sun was beginning to rise, setting the glow of the yellow paint. I heard birds chirping somewhere, signaling that everything was going to be okay. I took a deep breath, taking a mental photo of my house. Then I turned and began to walk down the road, towards the sunrise, accompanied only by my footsteps and the sound of the birds.

END

Thanks for reading this novella, I hope you enjoyed it. Another horror will be up shortly, rated T. It will be called "Knife Called Lust". See ya on the short side.

Shaw Out


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